Determination of the proton-to-helium ratio in cosmic rays at ultra-high energies from the tail of the X-max distribution

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68378271%3A_____%2F16%3A00539915" target="_blank" >RIV/68378271:_____/16:00539915 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2016.09.007" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2016.09.007</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2016.09.007" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.astropartphys.2016.09.007</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Determination of the proton-to-helium ratio in cosmic rays at ultra-high energies from the tail of the X-max distribution

Original language description

We present a method to determine the proton-to-helium ratio in cosmic rays at ultra-high energies. It makes use of the exponential slope, A, of the tail of the X-max. distribution measured by an air shower experiment. The method is quite robust with respect to uncertainties from modeling hadronic interactions and to systematic errors on X-max and energy, and to the possible presence of primary nuclei heavier than helium. Obtaining the proton-to-helium ratio with air shower experiments would be a remarkable achievement. To quantify the applicability of a particular mass-sensitive variable for mass composition analysis despite hadronic uncertainties we introduce as a metric the 'analysis indicator' and find an improved performance of the A method compared to other variables currently used in the literature. The fraction of events in the tail of the Xmax distribution can provide additional information on the presence of nuclei heavier than helium in the primary beam.n

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10303 - Particles and field physics

Project

—

Continuities

—

Publication year

2016

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Astroparticle Physics

ISSN

0927-6505

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

85

Issue of the periodical within the volume

Dec

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

6

Pages from-to

29-34

UT code for WoS article

000389112800003

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-84995588007